Grand Opening: County invites public to tour newly renovated building Friday

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By Scott Brand

Sault Ste. Marie Evening News - Sault Ste. Marie, MI

By Scott Brand

Posted Dec. 20, 2012 at 3:00 PM

By Scott Brand

Posted Dec. 20, 2012 at 3:00 PM

Sault Ste. Marie

Chippewa County will host the grand opening of the recently-renovated County Building at noon Friday and the public is invited to the event.

“The only thing that could stop it is if the county has to close all the buildings,” said County Administrator Jim German with an eye toward the pending blizzard, “and that hasn’t happened in the five years I’ve been here.”

The $2.4 million project will allow the county to house all of its offices in two buildings. The County Building will now be home to the Prosecutors Office, Probate Court, 91st District Court, Office of Public Defender, Parole and Probation Departments and the Friend of the Court. The Chippewa County Sheriff Office will also remain at that location.

German said Information Systems is not quite ready to make the move as the department is waiting to make sure there are no glitches with the county’s computer network.

The event is scheduled to last about two hours and German predicted there would be cookies on hand for the guests.

Tours of the newly-renovated structure will be given, showcasing the new conference room for attorneys and their clients, the new jury room and the renovated courthouse. German also noted that a secure corridor has been constructed, allowing jail staff to escort inmates directly into the back of the courtroom without passing through the hall which serves the general public. That addition, he added, will provide another level of security and peace of mind for both victims and law enforcement alike.

Chippewa County Chairman Scott Shackleton and Chairman Don McLean of the Buildings and Grounds Committee are both scheduled to speak at the Grand Opening ceremony.

German said the $2.4 million project will provide the county with a suitable home that should last for decades and it was completed without borrowing any funds. The county will be looking to recover some of that money once Information Systems departs from the Courthouse Annex by either renting or leasing the structure.